A Bootneck's Footsteps

ISBN 1-84683-043-5

Military history

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by Mike Pinnock
The author sets off on a nostalgic journey to retrace his father's movements with the Royal Marines 1921-45

The rediscovery of a long-forgotten case of old photographs and souvenirs inspired Mike Pinnock to begin an odyssey around the shores of the UK, retracing his Dad’s movements as a Royal Marine between the years 1921 to 1945.

In this enjoyable book, Mike journeys around the shores of Britain and beyond ~ by land and by sea ~ uncovering some surprising facts about his Dad’s life as a 'Bootneck'. He draws upon newspaper articles and letters from people who remember the great warships and historic events of the period in order to bring its spirit back to life.

Sometimes trespassing, he re-treads the ground his Dad once trod and seeks out old anchorages, whilst peeking back at Britain’s nautical and military heritage.

Along the way he has some humorous adventures and unnerving situations and encounters a motley crew of characters, including an ancient naval captain, a knife-carrying nautical buff, a suspected MI5 agent, a maverick lifeboatman and some anti-English Lewis folk.

But this book is more than a historical travelogue ~ it is a journey of self-discovery in which Mike struggles to relate his personal life with the compelling nature of his journey. It ends at the place of its beginning, as he penetrates a once-glimpsed childhood subaqueous world, where he finally finds his Father ... and himself.